Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Happy New Year

Bonaire again greeted the new year with the sounds of exploding fireworks ringing in our ears. This is something that has to be experienced to be believed.

We're enjoying having our son, Richard, here for two weeks. He's jelling out and enjoying the fact that he has a good job lined up after he graduates from Bucknell in May.

We've been observing comet Machholz most every evening, clouds permitting. It is pretty bright as comets go, that is one can see it with the naked eye if one knows about where to look. It has just passed a little to the west of Orion and Taurus, and will be near the Pleiades on the 7th. That night it will be pretty easy to find, if you know anything about the stars at all. Sky and Telescope has a easy to use chart. On Saturday and Sunday night, the horns of the bull (Taurus) were pointing right at the comet.

We've been watching satellites like the International Space Station and Iridium flares do their thing in the early evening sky as well.

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